To My AHN Host Family…
Sheema and Troy, Prior to coming to my homestay, I was honestly a bit nervous. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to communicate well with my host family or if I would adjust to living with them. But…
Discover Smyle Designs – Australia’s Cutest Eco-Friendly Jewellery and Souvenirs
Smyle Designs is a small business in Brisbane that makes unique and colourful jewellery and souvenirs featuring Australia’s beautiful animals and nature. Founded by Matt and Kylie, a creative couple passionate about Art, Nature and Sustainability, Smyle Designs range is…
Hosting Ghanem: Pete Shares His Story – Hosting Halal Students
Looking forward to greeting my new student guest, I walked out the front of my place to see a smiling young man with his luggage. Ghanem had texted me 20 minutes previously to tell me he had got off at…
A Series of Firsts with Rikako
Our AHN guest / student Rikako arrived from Japan as scheduled in September 2024. And with the greatest of ease, she quickly fit into my life and with my family and friends. While Rikako's English was better than my Japanese…
Preparing For Your Homestay Student’s Arrival: A Guide For Host Families
Hosting a homestay student with Australian Homestay Network (AHN) will be a rewarding and enriching experience for both you as a host family and the student arriving. Homestay hosting offers an opportunity to learn about different cultures and create meaningful…
Halloween 101
Halloween, celebrated every October 31, is a fun, spooky tradition enjoyed worldwide. As an AHN host, it's a great opportunity to get to know international students and celebrate Halloween customs. Read our guide for tips on how you can get…
Embracing Diversity: Hosting International Students During Ramadan
As homestay hosts, you understand the importance of creating a welcoming environment for our international students. Australia's cultural diversity is one of its strengths, and hosting students during special occasions like Ramadan can be a a very unique experience. In…
The Perks of Homestay – A Student’s Perspective
Homestay offers a unique blend of cultural immersion, language development, and a supportive environment for students. It promotes personal growth, provides a safe living arrangement, and allows students to experience the local way of life. Join our #AHNFamilyAU now! It…
Common Misconceptions About Hosting a Student with Special Dietary Requirements
Sign up to host with AHN As a host with Australian Homestay Network (AHN), you will receive requests to host students with varying dietary requirements. Common diets requested include halal, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and coeliac. DOWNLOAD INFO SHEETS: Halal…
Eight Ways To Support English Learners.
By Tanya Wheatley. Hi, I’m a longtime teacher of English to international students and a homestay host. I have seen how homestay can be a huge boost to language learning. If you have that magic combination of an eager student…
5 Reasons I Love Hosting Students – Toowoomba
The University of Southern Queensland is welcoming new short-term students and we are looking for local families to host. If you have a spare room and enjoy cultural exchange this is a great opportunity. Dates: 11th February to 1st…
5 Reasons I Love Hosting Students – Sydney
We are looking for new local families in Sydney to host international students. If you have a spare room and enjoy cultural exchange this is a great opportunity. Dates: Arriving February Remuneration: $310 per student per week*based on over 18…
5 Reasons I Love Hosting Students – Swinburne
Swinburne University of Technology is welcoming new under 18 students and we are looking for local families to host. If you have a spare room and enjoy cultural exchange this is a great opportunity. Dates: Arriving February Remuneration: $350…
5 Reasons I Love Hosting Students – Newcastle
The University of Newcastle is welcoming study tour groups and we are looking for local families to host. If you have a spare room and enjoy cultural exchange this is a great opportunity. Dates: Arriving February Remuneration: $340 per…
5 Reasons I Love Hosting Students- Hobart
The University of Tasmania is welcoming Japanese study tour groups and we are looking for local families to host. If you have a spare room and enjoy cultural exchange this is a great opportunity. Dates: 11 February to 11 March…
5 Reasons I Love Hosting Students
5 Reasons I Love Hosting Students. I moved to Melbourne a few years ago from the UK and was totally blown away by the kindness of everyone I met. People were so keen to help me discover all the wonderful…
2022 AHN Aussie Christmas Gift Guide
2022 AHN Aussie Gift Guide Christmas is fast approaching and we bet you’re counting down the days until the end of 2022. It’s been a crazy year, right?! If you’re an international student studying in Australia and you want some…
Settling Into Homestay, A Host’s Advice.
Settling Into Homestay, A Hosts Advice. This is for the newer hosts, like myself, who are just starting to feel their way around hosting international students, while they are settling into homestay. Just be practical & patient and remember the…
The Joys and Joys of Homestay Hosting.
We have hosted students from overseas for many years and during that time it has been an experience equivalent to a holiday. And one may wonder why.....well, you don't leave your home, or go to an exotic land, So how…
Meet Our Hosts…
Win a $100 Visa Gift Card! International student numbers are down and we don't know when they're going to be allowed back... "Meet Our Hosts" aims to keep Australia, AHN and Homestay in students minds while they can't be here.…
5 Activities for Homestay Families and Their Guests
Spending time together learning about each other’s cultures is a big part of the homestay experience. Whether you need to break the ice, or fill in your weekend, here are our 5 must-do activities for host families and their students.…
Arriving In Australia
Settling in and setting up... Settling into a new country can be very daunting if you’ve never been before so we’ve put together a few tips: Take a selfie with your host when you arrive - it'll help you…
Blog: My great experience with my homestay family
I came to Canberra, Australia in September 2011 to start my Foundations course at ANU College. I was 17, and had just finished year 10. My sister was already in her third year of university also in Canberra when I…
Blog: Our AHN story
Our students have told us that they enjoy the more friendly, secure lifestyle of staying in homestay compared to small confined units that they would be in if they’d decided to stay in on campus accommodation or typical student accommodation.…
Blog: What an introduction to AHN we have had
What an introduction to AHN we have had. We have been blessed to have Yuri as our homestay guest since August 2017. Yuri has become part of our extended family and it will be sad to her return home when…
Blog: We enjoyed homestay hosting
We enjoyed our homestay hosting and had amazing connections with our students. We were their Australian Mum & Dad. They loved our safe, family life and enjoyed the personal attention they received. We involved our family and it was always…
Blog: Our homestay experience as hosts
Seven years ago, we accepted our first homestay student. We originally decided to become homestay parents to put some additional funds into our mortgage, however we quickly discovered that like most things in life, the more you put in, the…
Blog: My experience with AHN
I came to Australia to study 4 years ago, I was awarded a scholarship from the Ecuadorian government and got the offer letter from UQ to do my bachelor’s degree. However, I had to do the Foundation Year program since…
Blog: I will never forget Brad and Claire
I am very happy to live with the most beautiful and smart people in the world. During my homestay, my host parents always shared lots of different interesting things with me – like cooking together on Sunday mornings. This makes…
Blog: Our family placement…
Steven was living with a host who was entirely focused on being paid and unfortunately was not offering the kind of homestay that AHN is proud to offer international students. So, we arranged a few options for his new homestay…
Blog: I’ll never prejudge a student again…
I have a great relationship with all my homestays. I still keep in touch with them through Facebook, Instagram, WeChat and meals out with the students. Hosting is a great way to learn other cultures and learn about other country’s…
Blog: Sharing our stories
We have laughed with them and talked with them at length enjoying conversations during and after dinner. We have celebrated birthdays. I am pleased that my cooking has been acceptable to people with very different diets to us and every…
Blog: Our AHN story: Fish and Chips
We have done homestay for 9 1/2 years and had some awesome experiences and shared amazing memories with our students. Our best experience is with a young lady called “Fish”. She joined our family in February 2012 and stayed with…
My Wonderful Homestay Journey
Hello，my name is Winnie and I am a first-year psychological science student at UNSW. This is my second semester in UNSW and it is also my second semester living with my homestay hosts Robert and Rani. They are very…
My Homestay Experience.
(Written by Jonne Bannink) - I would like to share my wonderful experience with AHN Homestay - I am Jonne Bannink, a 22 year old Hotel and Event Management student from the Netherlands. In September 2015 I started following the…
Why Do International Students Choose Homestay?
(Written by Debra from simpleabundance.blog) Our house is ridiculously quiet because both of our international students have travelled home for the holidays. It takes a little getting used to living at a different pace. The girls that we host add…
